4 December 2024 NEC Meeting Report

The left-led NEC including Socialist Alternative supporters have fought to shift the focus of the NEC meetings away from the General Secretary and Presidential reports, and to focus more on the reports from the Committees. This is aimed at making the meeting less focused on the grandstanding of the General Secretary report, which always took an inordinate amount of time, leaving less time available for the Committees to report on the vital work they do in running the union and steering it.

This shift in focus within the NEC meeting will give greater scrutiny to the day to day running of our union, as well as giving NEC members more time and opportunity to question and review the valuable work of the committees. In most cases the Committees are tasked with putting into action the motions passed at NDC, a well as dealing with the detailed work that keeps the union functioning.

The main Committees are Policy Development & Campaigns, International, Finance, Industrial Action, Staffing and Development & Organisation. This approach will enhance the democratic oversight of the union and focus our time and effort more productively on the task of changing UNISON into a campaigning, militant and organising union, capable of representing and winning for it`s members, as well as challenging the Labour Government.

UNISON has always had a cosy relationship with the Labour Party, and with the new Labour Government continuing the Tory austerity attacks on public services and the standard of living of our members, then a new approach is needed to stop these attacks.

The Labour Government announced in words, the end of austerity, but have continued the policy in it`s deeds. A few extra crumbs from the table will not satisfy public sector workers, after 14 years of Tory attacks. UNISON will have to recognise that the Labour Government has no intention of rebuilding public services and offering restorative pay deals to it`s workers, the two key demands of our members.

The NEC meeting, with a focus on the Committees, was able to highlight the excellent work that an organising union can achieve and push for more implementation of the progressive policies adopted at NDC.

The D&O Committee reported on the Organising to Win strategy, which has helped to recruit over 200,000 new members to UNISON, with a net gain of over 40,000. The Industrial Action Committee reported on their busiest year, which is a testament to a focus on strike action by the union. They reported on strikes in the NHS where workers won re-banding disputes, with £109 million won in back pay for these workers. The Finance Committee gave a detailed report on the improving financial health of the union, which is underpinned by the record increase in members` subscriptions. The PDCC gave a report on their intervention at COP29, which was very disappointing in terms of gains made to address the climate emergency, but it highlighted the urgent need for workers and trade unions to play a greater part in the process. Capitalist governments are failing to address the emergency, so workers and their organisations need to play a leading role in this work.

All these reports have shown that the work undertaken by the new Left NEC, mainly supporters of the Left group, Time For Real Change, are having a material effect on the members. The shift to taking and supporting strike action has been the motor for the record numbers of workers joining UNISON and the improvement in the union finances.

The next stage for TFRC is to launch a campaign for the General Secretary seat in 2025. To win this seat and to consolidate their position on the NEC, will be a further step in the direction of changing our union into a fighting, organising and militant vehicle for the working class. It is this type of union that can challenge the Government on all the pressing issues facing working class communities, and help UNISON to develop a rank and file activist group that can drive the union forward.